Russia's press in the west isn't a shining beacon of civil rights and cooperation of late. Understand why some might use that to show dislike for the event. Not that Russia is the first host to be less than civil in the history of sport.
The comment on "prostituting the roundshow" may be the first time those words have been used together on this DB. It is substantively ingenuous, as it happens all the time on all professional golf tours. Tom Doak has mentioned time and again, including on this thread, that what GCA aficionados perceive to be great, and what can functionally host a tournament, most often trace separate orbits.
"Humdinger of an event" is also quite humorous. Actually, it's really condescending and politics aside, is insulting. What would you suggest to make it a positive humdinger of an event? They can't all be John Deere Classics or Barracuda Championships, can they?
This event falls the week after a major championship. Notice that McIlroy, Garcia and Fowler are not playing in the USA either. Many of the top-shelf principles are taking the week off. Both the Canadian Open and the Russian Open suffer as a result (hence the inclusion of Yegeny Kefelnikov in the RO field.)
The USPGA championship, a major, will be held in three-weeks time in the USA. Makes sense that all the world's players would migrate toward North America and away from Europe/Asia.
Is there some other course in Russia, steeped in golfing tradition, reeking of the origins of the game, that has been slighted?
Not our best thread.
(And a quick heads-up for those who might ask, has this guy appointed himself the ombudsman of GCA? The answer is no. I won't sit idle, though, when I read something that deserves a comeuppance. I encourage others to join me.)